whatever it takes
by Marie Adama
Summary: Kara is back. And with her return she will change the life of everyone on the fleet, specially Lee's. KL fic


**Whatever it takes**

Author: Marie Adama

Disclaimer: I don't own BSG it belongs to RDM and DE

Spoilers: S3 finale if you haven't watch it.

Summary: Kara is back... and that will affect the life of everyone on the fleet, specially Lee's.

Author's note: thank you so much Aquitaine44 for being my beta!

Whatever it takes

Chapter one.

Lee landed his viper in autopilot. He still couldn't believe what had happened in the last hour, the Cylon fleet had appeared on top of them and the power had gone out, they were practically frakked... and then when he thought nothing else will happen… her.  
She appeared from out of nowhere. Her… Kara. She was …alive? Or was he having hallucinations again?  
After that everything happened in fast motion, they had fought the Cylons together, side by side, like they always did, like the old times, as if nothing had happened. They were in space again and they were Starbuck and Apollo and no one could stop them  
He wanted so much to believe it was true, that she was alive, that she was with him again. That maybe the gods had given him a second chance, that all this time that he had maintained a secret illusion that they would be together again somehow, somewhere, was really happening. But... but what if everything was a dream? What if he woke up only to face the truth that she was gone and that she had died because he had put her in the air even when he knew she shouldn't be there.  
But this time… this time it felt different, this time he wanted to believe.

When the canopy of his viper opened he removed his helmet as fast as he could. He wanted to be by her viper before anyone else. But he couldn't. By the time he got there a group of marines was surrounding Kara, pointing their guns at her. The entire hangar deck crew surrounded her ship.  
"Hey! Wait a minute!" Lee yelled as he drew close to the marines. He was searching for her in the middle of all these people, trying to see if she was there, trying to see her, trying to find out if it was really her or just another hallucination. And then he saw her. Kara. Her blond hair luminous eyes, her full lips…her strong presence… the same Kara, his Kara but different. He could not breathe.  
"Sorry Maj….Mister Adama but this are Admiral Adama's orders," Sergeant Mathias said without taking her gaze off of Kara.  
"It's okay, Lee," Kara said calmer than he had ever heard her talk before. She looked into his eyes, and he knew. He knew it was her and that she was alive.  
He was so caught up looking her in the eyes, that he didn't realize his father had come up behind them. And then her gaze traveled from him to his father.  
"It's really me, Sir," she said softly.  
"Even if you are, you know I can't trust you," he said after looking at her for a while.  
"I know," Kara said and she extended her hands towards the marines.

"Hey!" Lee protested. "Stop, it's Kara! What do you think you're doing? Wait!" His father forced him back and a marine grabbed him. "This is Kara, not some fraking skinjob!"  
The marines handcuffed her wrists and her ankles. At Adama's command, while Lee still protested in the marine's grasp, another pushed Kara and forced her to walk. The remaining six marines surrounded her and began to leave the hangar deck.

Lee struggled to touch Kara as she passed by him, but a marine stopped him. Kara looked at him one more time and there was something in her gaze that calmed him, but at the same time made his heart beat as it had not beat in a long, long time. He had hope again, he had her again. He couldn't avoid a smile, a smile that she answered just for a second, before she was dragged away.

Adama stopped in his tracks in front of Lee. who was still held by the marine.  
"Escort Mister Adama to the brig!" He said to the marine without even looking at Lee.  
"Yes, Sir," the Marine answered. Lee stood straight, defiantly looking at his father.  
"I'll deal with you later," Adama added, looking at him with the same hard expression that he had used when Lee had quit the military and then walked out of the hangar deck after Kara.  
"Start moving!" the marine said harshly and pushed Lee so he would start moving.

Lee paced inside his cell like a trapped animal. Back and forth. His mind was filled with questions. What if she was a Cylon? What if they had thrown her out of the airlock? What if…  
Suddenly the door opened and the same group of marines that had escorted Kara out of the hangar deck were taking her to the brig. One of them stepped inside the cell with her and removed her leg and wrist handcuffs before placing a new set of them only in her wrist. Once the doors were closed and they were alone in the room she turned to face him.  
They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity until finally she broke the silence.  
"This seems familiar," she said, recalling something with amusement.  
"You in hack? Yeah, that's familiar," Lee said and they both laughed.  
"Hey, I'm not the only one here," she said, raising an eyebrow.  
"Good point," Lee smiled, then lowered his gaze and took a few steps back until his back rested against the cell's bars.  
"I know you must have a lot of questions since I disappeared and was gone for so long…" She started to say, but Lee interrupted her.  
"Disappeared?" He asked, confused. Then he looked right at her. "Kara you were dead," Lee said almost in a whisper.  
"I guess you could assume that, after all the time I was away…" Kara began, but Lee interrupted her again.  
"Kara I didn't assume you were dead. I saw your viper explode."  
"You saw my viper explode?" Kara asked, surprised.  
"Yes, right in front of my eyes, it just ...it…" Lee took a deep breath, fighting the knot he felt starting to form in this throat. "Your viper blew into pieces right in front of me. There was nothing else to do. You went in, you hit the hard deck and it just blew… you were… dead and I…" The words died in his mouth and he squeezed the bars that separate his cells from hers.  
"I'm sorry" she said softly. "I didn't … I came out in a different place, I assumed that you saw me disappear. I never thought that you saw my viper explode." She remained silent for a while, then moved closer to Lee's cell and rested her hands on the bars.  
"I'm so sorry, Lee," she said and tenderly put her hands on top of his. "But I had to, I needed to go, to understand what my destiny was. I was so lost Lee. I needed to go and find myself," she said peacefully.  
Lee looked her tenderly in the eyes, contemplating her. Then he lowered his gaze to her hands, and squeezed her hands in his. "I know," he finally said with understanding. He just had to look at her to understand that the journey she made was what she needed. She wasn't lost like she was when she disappeared. "I know," he repeated and lovingly place his right hand on her face.  
She smiled back at him, and rested her face in his hand. She was so happy to be back, to be with him again.

"Hey! you two, break it off!" yelled the marine who was watching them.

Lee and Kara stepped back and looked at each other amused, then started laughing out loud like they haven't done in what it seams now were years. Finally they sat next to each other, only separated by the bars of the cell.  
"You must have really off the old man this time," Kara finally said and Lee just smiled at her. "What did you do this time?"  
"I stole a military asset."  
"You did what?" Kara asked amused. "What did you steal?"  
"A viper," Lee said with a grin in his eyes, as if he was proud of what he did.  
"A viper?" Kara asked confused "But why would you… how did you?"  
"I sneaked into the flight deck and took it without asking permission" He said and when he saw the confused expression in her face he added, "You do remember what a viper is right?"  
"Of course I do," Kara said with a smirk. "But why would you steal one, you're the CAG?"  
"Actually, I'm not the CAG anymore."  
"You're not? Really?" She asked surprised.  
"Yeah, let's say the admiral and I had a disagreement."  
"A disagreement?" She said raising an eyebrow. "Last time you and the old man had a disagreement and he send you to hack you put a gun to Tigh's head, so what did you do this time?"  
Lee shrugged his shoulders, he wasn't sure about telling Kara the reason he and his father weren't in speaking terms, why he had quit the military, lost his wife and the trust of everyone in Galactica.  
"Was it that bad?" Kara asked concerned when Lee remained in silence.  
"I choose to defend Baltar." Lee said quickly, as if by saying it fast it won't cause the effect that he knew his words will cause.  
"Baltar, as in Gaius Baltar?" Kara asked confused.  
"Yes."  
"You defended him?"  
"I was part of his defense in the trial." Lee said avoiding her questioning eyes.  
"Why? Why would you choose to side with that traitor, that piece of scum! He is the responsible of what happened in New Caprica. He choose to collaborate with them, he doesn't even deserve a trial."  
"Every one deserves a trial, Kara."  
"Not him," Kara said and tightened her jaw. "I can't believe you Lee, how could you?"  
"Because it was the right thing to do, because everyone was ready to airlock him, no questions asked, that's not justice, that's revenge and I wasn't going to be part of that, I didn't."  
"Of course you wouldn't, you're Lee Adama."  
"I did what I thought was right and I don't regret it"  
"That's so typical of you" she said shaking her head. "Of course you will defend him, of course you will take his side"  
"And obviously you will take my father's side," Lee snapped back with a smirk trying to hide the fact that her words had hurt him.  
The fact was that no one's opinion really mattered to him, he didn't care to lose his father trust, he knew his father's trust in him was just a loan. He didn't care to lose his wife's trust, He knew he never really had it. It also didn't matter to him to lose the president's trust. He knew he had lost that a long time ago, but her… he always thought that she would be the only one who would trust in his decision, that would trust in him and understand him. Finally he looked at the floor and placed his hands in his pockets, turning his back to Kara.

They had not even been together for a day and they already were fighting. She had been calm ever since she appeared. It wasn't the way the marines had treated her, not the way that everyone looked at her, not even the way that Cottle had tested her like a lab rat that had broken her peace, it was him. He always did it, he was the only one that could affect her like that. She sat on the rack of the cell and looked at him. He looked different, he looked like a huge burden had been taken away from his shoulders, even when his body language showed that he was tense, there was something about him that made him more relaxed. Free…  
That he had chosen to defend Baltar made her really angry. But on the other hand if someone was going to defend him that would be Lee Adama, that was who he was. She also understood Adama's reaction to it, Lee had betrayed the old man and probably everyone on Galactica thought that he had betrayed them too. He would be lonelier than ever now, he never had many friends but at least he had Dee, to be at his side no matter what. Kara thought about Lee's marriage and her heart tightened. It still hurt her remembering the words he had said the last time they had talked. He was happy with Dee and as much as it hurt her that he was happy with someone else, he was happy and that was all that mattered to her.

The door of the brig opened and a group of marines stormed in. Two went by Lee's cell and the rest to Kara's. They opened Kara's cell and started to place the set of handcuffs on her wrist and ankles.  
"The Admiral is waiting for you," said the marine who was placing the handcuffs on Lee's wrists.  
"Start moving!" The marine said once he finished and started guiding Lee outside hack.  
"Stay strong," said Lee with concern stopping in front of Kara's cell. She was still being prepared, probably to be taken to the interrogation room, he thought.  
"Good luck to you too, you're going to need it," she said with a soft smile before the marine pushed Lee and took him outside hack.

When Lee arrived at his father's quarters, he was sure that he had lost the trust of almost everyone on Galactica. He wasn't one of them anymore, not that he ever truly was one of them, he always was an outcast. But now he had crossed the line. He had betrayed the Admiral and had chosen to side with the one man that everyone hated. It didn't matter that he had done it for the right reasons, it didn't matter that many of them thought that he had valid reasons, he was just unworthy of their trust. The way the people had looked at him in the halls had proved him that.  
"Sir," said the marine to Adama, once they were inside his quarters.  
"Remove the handcuffs and leave, Corporal." said Adama.  
"Yes, Sir," said the marine and after doing what he was ordered he leaved the room.

"What are you planning to do with Kara?" Lee asked impatiently.

"That's none of you business," Adama answered sharply.

"The hell it is," Lee snapped back.

"No is not. As far as we know Kara is dead and we don't know what we have in hack."

"What we have? You're talking as if she was a thing, as if she was a Cylon?" Lee asked incredulous. He could not believe the way his father was talking.

"Until I have evidence that she is not, that's what she is to me," Adama said coldly.

"How can you say that? How can you not realize it's her? She's not a Cylon, she is Kara… our Kara," Lee said, trying to break his father shell.

"Our Kara died, the day her viper exploded!" Adama exclaimed, "I don't know who or what we have in hack and I don't trust her."

"But you trust the Cylon model who shot you," Lee said with sarcasm, his eyes simmering with anger.

"That's enough!" Adama yelled and they both remained in silence. "You know why you are here don't you?" Adama asked finally without even look at him.  
"I have a pretty good idea."  
"Stealing military assets in wartime is considered treason and you know what the punishment for treason is"  
"I know," Lee said stoicly.  
"Of course you know, since you're a lawyer now."  
"I'm not a lawyer, Admiral." Lee said and Adama just looked at him by the corner of his eye while he filled himself a glass of water.  
"Do you mind telling me why you did it?" Adama finally asked.  
"I had to. My place was out there defending the fleet"  
"You're not in the military any more, you choose to leave."  
"I know very well the choices I made. I also know that I can't just sit and see what's happening while I can help"  
"You said that as if you cared."  
"I do care, I never stop caring," Lee said. After a moment of silence he asked, "So what happens now?"  
"I need every pilot I have, especially now that the Cylons are following our steps so closely. I need experienced pilots out there."  
"Even me?" Lee said raising an eyebrow  
"Even the ones who don't deserve to wear the uniform," Adama said with disdain. He opened his desk drawer and threw Lee's wings over the desk "Do you still have what it takes to use them?"  
Lee just looked at his wings, took them and placed them on his pilot suit calmly. "I think I do, Sir." Lee said the last word with a glimpse of irony.  
"Then you'll report to duty immediately. The next CAP starts in a couple of minutes."  
"Yes, Sir" Lee said and stood straight.  
"And don't you think you will be let off of the hook so easily"  
"I've never expected that, Sir."  
"Helo will still be the CAG and you will be demoted," he said and he waited for Lee to say something. When he didn't, he continued, "…to Lieutenant"  
Lee just looked at him and didn't say a word, just tightened his jaw and remained in the same place.  
"You're dismissed, Lieutenant Adama."  
Lee saluted at him and then left the room, without looking back.

It was the second day of endless CAPs and as he did every time one of his CAP ended, he headed towards the hack, with the hope she would be there and that he would be able to see her. He hoped that the interrogation would be over by now. After all, it had been two days that she had been questioned non-stop in the interrogation room, to which of course he had no access.

The marine who watched over the hack had finally felt pity for him after the forth time he went by asking for Kara and stood there until his next CAP was about to start. The marine had told him that she had not been moved from the interrogation room, that Tigh and the Admiral were the ones conducting the interrogation and that no one beside them, the President and the CAG knew what was going on there.

So now he was walking in the direction of the interrogation room. It didn't mater if he had to break in, if he had to beg or even point his gun at someone's head, he would see her today, he was determined to it. Suddenly, he noticed he was in the memorial hall only a few steps away from the place where he had put Kara's picture. To his surprise, she was there. She was standing right in front of her picture, looking at it, so peacefully that he felt the urge to blink to make sure she would not disappear.

Kara's finger was traveling across her own picture hanging in the memorial wall and she was smiling. Lee had kept his promise, he had placed her picture right next to Kat, and he had chosen that particular picture. It had been taken one day while they were playing triad. Lee had said, the first time he saw the picture, that it really captured her, that she even looked cute in it. She had punched him in the stomach and he had took the picture out of her hands, and it didn't matter how much she had asked him or fought with him to make him return the picture, he hadn't. She even had break into his locker searching for the picture but she never found it. Until now.

Suddenly a tickle in the back of her neck dragged her away from the memories. Only one person caused that kind of tickling in her.  
She slowly turned in the direction of the entrance to the hall, raising her eyes with a playful gaze. A pair of eyes were looking back at her with the same playfulness.  
She couldn't avoid a smile and Lee smiled back to her. Finally they both ran into each other arms. He raised her into the air while he held her tightly in his embrace. Finally he put her down and she sunk her nose in his neck.  
"I missed you," she whispered against his skin.  
"I missed you too," he said and tightened his embrace. "I really did."  
She felt his voice tremble at the last words and she held him tight, as if by that she could reassure him that she was back.

To be continued…

Author's note: reviews are always welcome ;)


End file.
